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Report: Taxpayer money wasted on 911 service

TACOMA, Wash. — The state agency paid to improve 911 service is accused of wasting $700,000 of taxpayers’ money.

The obscure state agency run out of Camp Murray in Tacoma is charged with managing and improving the 911 system in the state.

Taxpayers pay .25 cents a month for every cellphone and landline they have to fund the service.

According to a new report, internal and outside investigators found the state agency spent three years and more than $700,000 implementing a new program that was ultimately scrapped.

The program was supposed to streamline databases and spreadsheets, but was never analyzed by managers to see if it was worth the money and the work hours to implement it.

According to the News Tribune, there may have been some unethical relationships between the agency and the contractor.

Managers didn't take other bids or consider other contractors for similar programs.

The manager overseeing the 911 department told the News Tribune, "I take our ethical responsibilities to the state and our citizens very seriously...we will behave in an ethical manner."

Several managers with the agency were taken out of their jobs or have left the agency in light of the failed program.